Safety coupler



Aug. 24, 1943. w. H. WARD SAFETY COUPLER Original Filed March 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l ILLARD H.WARD

A Troy/var Aug. 24, 1943. w, A D 2,327,946

SAFETY COUPLER Original Filed March 275 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. WILLARD HQWARD 1 BY /"w I AT TIVIVEY Patented Aug. 24, 1943 232mm] 1:. 'SAFETY conf rm Woman. warmer; ahnsmgvmseai to Fairbanks, Morse & (30., Chicago; ill -acorpojrationoflllinois Original applicationMarch erg-iisroys-eriar N0.

aaeisrzniaiaeaana thisapplication April 11;;- 1-1942. Serials 4:38.563 P This invention relatesxto mechanical coupling devices genera-1, and particularly to improve ments inpo-wer transmitting couplings forthn o in driving and drivenmembers' of: a machine. The present application is :a division of, my application filed .March 217, 119%); intimprovements in Hoppers, if'or Patent No. 2,284L'781wasggranted JtlmeJZ,

This invention has for its chief object'the pro"- vision of :an improved coup-ling device which will function to protect the maclnne against harmful strain and damage to its working parts the Plunger rod I 8 is provided with an am- -ular shoulder'l fl, theinner race of which' is bevelled as indicated at 2|; The shoulder 20 limits the extent of axial movement of the plunger rod event that the driven member thereof encolmtersinordinate resistance to its-movement, and which,

insuch event; is self-acting to interruptthefiow of power between members. 1

the driving and the driven Another object of i the invention to prooideza safety coupler of thecharacter describiedyem body-me an i' rvary nits cnitica'lresistance; or maximum *transmittablezforce walue art which point the safety ieaturefunctions.

These and other objects. andadvantaaes appear from the following description *and aace companying drawings illustrating: a zprefemed embodiment of my invention. In thexdrawingsr Fig. l is .a plan -vi ew.:.of my safetycoupler;'L;

.Fig. 2 is a partly sectional side elevation there of with the parts shown in their normal operate.

ing relationship; Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Eig.'2.lb11t illustrating the coupler par-ts tin-abnormal. inelative positions, and

Figs. .4 and .5 are transverse .-sectidnal views taken at lines 4-4 and i -5 yQf Fig. 2.

Referring now by characters of reference "to;

e11 e n ated body .member having .anleye H formed thereon at one end to provide ajournal iota-pivot pin the drawings, numeral .1 .0 designate (not shown) by which the coupler body is adapt-1 ed to be attached to .a crank, rocker.arum; or other power member of .9; machine. Extending inwardly from the opposite end of the: coupler body. is a, cavity ll? that communicates with a longitudinal bore 13 terminating. at .anppenihg 1M .at

theloase of the eye portionl l. .Anendplate 15 is secured as by .bolts 1-6 to the coupler body and forms a closure for cavity I2, said end plate haying an opening J lcoanial with bore l3. A plunger rod i 8 extends into the body through the opening l7, centrally through cavity I2 and into the bore [3. The outer end of the plunger rod is provided with a bearing block l9 or other suitable means for connection with a second power member of a machine.

with respect to the body part of the coupler, and normally occupies a position of abutmentag-ains't the ztace of end pIat'e "-l 'o', as shown in Fig. "2; When-thusly disposed the plunger rod'is in a relatively extended condition and'nor mally is so held by a sleeve ZZ disposed about the rod and located in the body cavity .12. tered longitudinally and internally tapered as willwappear'from Figs.:21and4. One end of the oomposite lsleeve has a bevelled throat 23 which.

normally seats against the correspondingly bevelledisurfa'ce 2 l. ofshoulder :20, and the opposite end of "the sleeve fitsxan annularrabbet formed in 'axwasher 24'which :is disposed between :thesleeve and thezbottomlsurface of the body cavity: The sleeve quarters are held in place in the bodyjcavity :by washer iii and by studs 2.5 that extend radially in a transverse plan (near the fin-: ner ended the sleeve, the studs being constituted each seotiongof' the sleeve.

its outer end. V

. .Movementof the sleeve sections to eiiect an en largement of the outer end of "the sleeve as ato-nesaid is opposed by'springs-ZI, each bearing radially inwardly against one of the sleeve sectiorrs ata point near its outer end. --Trhe isprings 21.are.seate.d inexternally threaded cups 28 disposedlin internally threaded openings in the body member, and-extend. into. shallow pockets 29 The described formed ;-in the sleeve sections. mountinsjfor the springs enables the pressure che p; onthe sectionsto, be adjusted, such pressure determining the degree of force necessary. to t. l ne d nal collapsing of the .cou ler..

As will be understood, the coupler illustrated and described herein is ,in thenature of a normally rigid compression link which is adaptedto A collapse longitudinally whensubiected to .com-. pressive forces exceeding a predetermined value,

applied'to the end parts H and I9, such that the plunger lfl tends to move inwardly of the body part l0. Such movement of the plunger rod is normally prevented by the sleeve 22. However, should the compressive forces tending to collapse member of a machine which is connected in-driven relation to the coupler, is taken up in the coupler. As will be understood, the co upler resets itself on the outward stroke of the plunger rod.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to a particular embodiment, it should be understood that changes may be made in the described structure without departing from the spirit and full intendment of the invention, except as limited by the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1, A safety coupler of the character described, comprising a body, a rod slidable in the body and projecting outwardly from one end thereof, said rod having a shoulder normally bearing against an internal surface of the body to limit the extent of outward movement of the rod relative to the'body, and yieldable means adapted to prevent inward movement of, saidrod relative to the body,

said means comprising a longitudinally split sleeve disposed about said rod and held against ,endwise movement in the body, said sleeve having a bevelled end surface engaging said rod shoulder, and springs on said body bearing laterally on said sleeve and adapted to oppose diametrical expansion of the sleeve caused by the actionof said rod shoulder on the bevelled end of the sleeve.

2, In a safety coupler of the character described, an elongate body, a rod disposed for longitudinal sliding movement in said body, said rod having a bevelled shoulder formed thereon, a'longitudinally split sleeve onsaid rod Within said body, means holding said sleeve against endwise' movement in the body, said sleeve having a bevelled throat surface engageable with the bevelled surface of said shoulder, whereby an inward force on said rod relative to said body tends wedgingly to expand the bevelled'end of said sleeve forthe reception of said shoulder and spring means acting on said sleeve to resist eX- pansion thereof as aforesaid.

3. A coupling device comprising a body me m' 4. In a coupling device of the character de scribed, an elongated body, a rod reciprocable in said body and having an annular flange formed thereon, a longitudinally split sleeve fixedly disposed in said body and through which said rod extends, said flange being normally disposed in end-abutting relation to said sleeve whereby the rod is normally prevented from moving inwardly of said body, said flange having a bevelled por-' tion coacting with the sleeve end to expand the same whereby to permit said flange to pass into the sleeve, and a plurality of springs, each bearing radially inwardly on one of the sleeve sections and adapted collectively to oppose expansion of said sleeve.

- 5. A coupling device of the character described comprising an elongated body terminating at one end in a bearing and having a recess extending inwardly from its opposite end, an apertured plate detachably secured to and forming a closure for the recessed end of said body, a plunger rod extending into the body through said end plate, said rod having a bearing on its outer end, an annular flange formed on said rod within the I body recess, and means for holding said rod in anlextended position with respect to the body, said means comprising a longitudinally split sleeve disposed in the body recess about said rod and having one end abutting said flange, said flange and sleeve end having mating bevelled surfaces whereby an inward force on the-rod, and acting through said'flange, tends wedgingly to expand thelsleeve to allow said flange to pass therethrough, a plurality of springs acting against the sides of said sleeve and adapted to oppose'sleeve expansion as aforesaid, and means .for adjusting thefor'ce of said springs on said sleeve.

6. In asafety coupling device of the character described, a body member having a cavity extending inwardly from one end, an apertured end plate detachably secured'over the mouthof said cavity,- a' plunger rod extending into said cavity through the apertured endplate, a

bevelled shoulder formed on said rod, with'inthe body cavity, a longitudinally split sleeve encircling the rod, within the body cavity, one'end of said sleeve engaging saidfib'evelled shoulder, recesses forme'd'inithe sleeve near the opposite end thereof, studs on thebody member projecting into said recesses for"p'ositioning the sleeve, and a plurality of springs actinginwardly on said sleeveat points spaced from said positioning I studs. I '7. In a safety coupler of the character de? scribed, a body member having 'an' end cavity,

therein, an apertured end plate secured over i the mouth of said cavity, a plunger rod extending into'said cavity through said plate, yieldable means in the body cavity normally holding said plunger rod against movement relative to the body, said means including a longitudinally split,

laterally expandible sleeve encircling .said rod and having a bevelled throat at one end, a flange:

formed on said' rod, said flange being normally confined between the inner face of said end plate and the bevelled-throat of said sleeve, radially arranged coilcompression springs bearing inwardly against the sides of said sleeve adjacent the bevelled throat, spring compression adjust/5 ing cup elements threaded in the body member,:

said elements receiving the outer end of "said springs.

WIL- LARon. WARD. 

